Toy



Feb. 26, 1963 J. A. BROWN Filed Sept. 29, 1960 TOY 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 m INVENTOR. BY hwy/Z I'M /l Feb. 26, 1963 J. BROWN 3,078,619

TOY

' Filed Sept. 29, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 -IIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!! i 1 ii 5 E A Z6 llll" @i; Z l 5 l H V m A5 A 6 IN V EN TOR.

\ W zirwys United States Patent Filed Sept. 29, 1960, iSer..No. 59,347 3 Claims. (tCl. 46-204) This invention relates to a toy or amusement device, and more particularly to a toy of the push or pull type.

The object of the invention is to provide a toy which includes a member that is mounted on wheels and wherein this member is adapted to be pushed or pulled along a particular surface so that a body piece supported thereabove will tumble over and over in order to create a highly pleasing and unusual effect which willprovide amusement and recreationto children and others.

Another object of the invention is to provide a toy which includesa wheeled member so as to provide a support for an egg shaped or ovoid-shaped body piece and wherein as the toy is pushed or pulled, the body piece will turn over and over again and the body piece is adapted to have contrasting configurations thereon such as a' smiling face on one end and a sad face on the other end so that the smiling and sad faces will be alternately visible as the toy is moved.

Another object of the invention is to provide a toy,

which consists of a movable member that provides a support for a tumbling body piece and wherein the body piece may either be arranged so that its longitudinal axis is'parallel to the longitudinal axis of the support member, or else the body piece can be arranged so that its longitudinal axis is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the support member, and wherein the body piece may be provided with a striped effect so that with the body piece arranged so that its longitudinal axis is transverse or at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the support member, a barberpole effect will be created as the toy is moved.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a toy which can be pushed or pulled and wherein the toy may be moved by means of a string, rod or the like and wherein the toy is provided with wheels which can be mounted on axles or studs, and wherein the toy includes a movable or tumbling body piece that may either 'be made solid or else it may be made hollow so that articles such as dried peas, small rocks or the like can be arranged therein in order to produce a noise as the toy moves, and wherein the body element may be made in sections which can be fastened together in any suitable manner, as for example by means of a bayonet type slot or the like.

A further object of the invention is to provide a toy which is extremely simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, and in which like numerals are used to designate like parts throughout the same:

FlGURE 1 is a side elevational view of the toy of the present invention, and showing by dot and dash lines the turning action of the body piece as the toy moves.

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the toy of the present invention.

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view similar to FIGURE 2 but showing the body piece in a different position after it has turned a half turn from the position shown in FIG- URE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a plan View showing a different arrangement or modification wherein the body piece is arranged transversely with respect to the longitudinal axis of the "ice support member instead of being arranged as shown in FlGURES 1, 2, and 3, and wherein the body piece of FIGURE 4 shows a different ornamental effect or design thereon.

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view takcnon the line 5-5 of FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of the support member.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral 10 indicates a toy of the present invention and is shownto comprise a wheeledor movable support member that is indicated generally by the numeral'll, and the support member 11 embodies abaselZ which is shown to consist .of a horizontally disposed bottom wall 13 as well as in clined spaced apart rear and front end walls 15 and 14, FIGURE 6. The sides of the support member 11 are open as shown in. the drawings. The numeral 1'7 indicates a manual member which may be a string, stick, rod, or the like that is used for pushing or pulling the toy 1t), and the manual member 17 is adapted to be connected to an eyelet or other fastener .16 that is suitably connected to the front portion of the support member 11, FIG URE l.

The toy It) further includes a body piece which is indicated generally by the numeral 18, and the body piece 13 is generally ovoid or egg shape and includes the intermediate section 19 which may be of cylindrical formation as well as the rounded ends 20. The body piece 13 is adapted to have contrasting configurations on its opposite ends, as for-example as shown in FIGURE '2 a configuration 21 representing a smiling face may be arranged on one end of the body piece 18, while a configuration or design simulating or representing a sad face as indicated by the numeral .22 is adapted to be arranged on t e other end of the body piece 18. Then, as the toy 10 is pushed or pulled by the manual member 17, the body piece will tumble over and over again so that the smiling and sad faces 21 and 22 will be alternately visible in order to providea highly attractive and pleasing effect for the child using or watching the toy.

There is further provided vertically disposed spaced apart wheels .23 which are journaled on axles or stub shafts 24, and. the axles or stub shafts 24 are journalcd in the end walls 1'4 and 15. The wheels 23 are provided with tapered or beveled portions 25 on their outer periphery, so that when the body piece 18 is in the position of FIGURES l, 2, and 3, the beveled portions 25 will function as a guide seat for the body portion 18 so as to help maintain the body piece 18 in its proper position as it tumbles over and over.

The axles 2d are spaced apart less than the wheel diameter as shown in the drawings. The body piece 18 rests on the wheels and has a central portion 19 with a diameter approximately equal to the diameter of the wheels. The rounded ends 26 of the body piece 18 have a radius approximately equal to that of the central portion 19 of the body piece. The overall length of the body piece 18 is substantially the same as the distance between the wheel axles 24.

Referring to FIGURES 4 and 5 of the drawings, there is illustrated a diiferent arrangement wherein a body piece such as the body piece 18 is arranged transversely with respect to the longitudinal axis of the support member 11 instead of being arranged as shown in FIGURES l, 2, and 3. In addition the body piece 18 is adapted to be provided with stripes such as the stripes 26 so that as the toy of FIGURES 4 and 5 such as indicated generally by the numeral 10', is moved, the body piece 18 will roll on the wheels 23 and the stripes 26 will impart a barber pole effect which will be highly attractive and will increase the pleasure with which the toy can be used.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that there has been 'as the wheeled member 11 as well as the ovoid shaped body piece or element 18, and as the toy is pushed or pulled along a surface, the body piece 18 will tumble over and over so as to create a highly unusual and pleasing effect. This tumbling action of the body piece 18 occurs because the outer surface of the body piece 18 is arranged in frictional engagement with the wheels 23, so that as the toy 10 is pushed or pulled by means of the manual member 17, the wheels 23 will rotate due to the provision of the axles or stub shafts 24, and with the wheels engaging the outer surface of the ovoid shaped body piece 18, it will be seen that the body piece 18 will be rotated or tumbled end over end when the parts are in the position shown in FIGURES 1, 2, and 3. However, even though the body piece 18 tumbles end over end, it will still remain supported on the wheels 23 above the base 12. The beveled or tapered surfaces 25 of the wheels 23 define guide seats or portions which help maintain the body piece 18 in its proper position above the base 12 as the toy is moved.

In the arrangement of FIGURES I, 2, and 3, the body piece 18 has its longitudinal axis parallel or in alignment with the longitudinal axis of the base 12, so that the tumbling action previously described takes place. Furthermore, the body piece 18 is adapted to have contrasting designs or configurations on its end portions, as for example a smiling face 21 may be painted or otherwise arranged on one end of the body piece 18 while a sad face 22 is adapted to be arranged on the other end of the body piece 18. Then, as the body piece 18 tumbles or turns end over end, the child will be able to first observe a sad face and then a smiling face and then this cycle will be repeated so as to enhance the pleasure with which the toy is being used.

Instead of arranging the body piece 18 as shown in FIGURES 1, 2, and 3, it may be arranged as shown in FIGURES 4 and so that the longitudinal axis of the body piece 18 of FIGURES 4 and 5 is transverse to the longitudinal axis of the base 12 and then as the toy of FIGURES 4 and 5 is pushed or pulled by the member 17, the wheels 23 will rotate and this in turn will rotate the body piece 18'. The body piece 18 is adapted to have arranged on its outer surface a plurality of spaced apart multi colored stripes 26 so that as the toy 10' is turned, the body piece 18 will continuously rotate, and the stripes 26 will create a barber pole efiect which will be highly amusing and pleasing to the user of the toy. In .1.-

the arrangement of FIGURES 4 and 5 the body piece 18' does not tumble but rotates, wherein as in the arrangement of FIGURES 1, 2, and 3 the body piece 18 tumbles end over end.

The parts can be made of any suitable material and in different shapes or sizes.

The body piece may be made of solid construction or else it can be made hollow and if desired the body piece may be made of two sections which are adapted to be fastened together with a lock joint. The wheels may be supported on stub shafts, axles or the like, and the toy can be pushed or pulled by suitable manual member such as a stick, rod, string or the like. By making the body piece hollow, articles such as dried peas, small stones, rocks, or the like can be arranged in such a hollow body piece so that as the body piece turns or tumbles such articles will make a noise which will further increase the pleasure with which the toy may be used by a child. The body piece is supported on the wheels in such a manner that as the toy is moved the body piece will either be tumbled end over end, or rotated, depending upon the position of the body piece on the wheels as previously stated.

Minor changes in shape, size and arrangement of details may be resorted to, in actual practice, coming within the field of invention claimed, if desired.

What is claimed is:

l. A toy which provides a tumbling action comprising, a wheeled support member on which a movable body piece is supported, said support member having a base, a first pair of wheels supported adjacent the front of said base, a second pair of wheels supported adjacent the rear of said base, the wheels of each pair being aligned on a common axis, said wheels all having the same diameter and said axes being in a common plane and parallel to each other, the distance between said axes being approximately one and a half times the diameter of the wheels, the wheels of each pair being spaced apart slightly less than the wheel diameter, and the base being shaped to provide an unobstructed area between the wheels, said body piece supported on the periphery of said wheels and having a central generally cylindrical body portion with rounded ends of generally hemispherical shape, the central portion having a diameter approximately equal to the wheel diameter and the rounded ends having a radius approximately equal to that of the central portion, the overall length of the body being substantially the same as the distance between the parallel wheel axes, so that the body piece may be cradled in the area between the four wheels whereby the body piece due to its full shape will readily tumble and will not ride up the forward wheels and fall off the carriage.

2. The toy as set forth in claim 1 wherein the wheels have a beveled periphery.

3. The toy as set forth in claim 1 wherein said body piece has configurations thereon to create an optical effect when the moving body is in motion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,718,728 Shoup Sept. 27, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 634,481 Great Britain Mar. 22, 1950 wry: q, 

1. A TOY WHICH PROVIDES A TUMBLING ACTION COMPRISING, A WHEELED SUPPORT MEMBER ON WHICH A MOVABLE BODY PIECE IS SUPPORTED, SAID SUPPORT MEMBER HAVING A BASE, A FIRST PAIR OF WHEELS SUPPORTED ADJACENT THE FRONT OF SAID BASE, A SECOND PAIR OF WHEELS SUPPORTED ADJACENT THE REAR OF SAID BASE, THE WHEELS OF EACH PAIR BEING ALIGNED ON A COMMON AXIS, SAID WHEELS ALL HAVING THE SAME DIAMETER AND SAID AXES BEING IN A COMMON PLANE AND PARALLEL TO EACH OTHER, THE DISTANCE BETWEEN SAID AXES BEING APPROXIMATELY ONE AND A HALF TIMES THE DIAMETER OF THE WHEELS, THE WHEELS OF EACH PAIR BEING SPACED APART SLIGHTLY LESS THAN THE WHEEL DIAMETER, AND THE BASE BEING SHAPED TO PROVIDE AN UNOBSTRUCTED AREA BETWEEN THE WHEELS, SAID BODY PIECE SUPPORTED ON THE PERIPHERY OF SAID WHEELS AND HAVING A CENTRAL GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL BODY PORTION WITH ROUNDED ENDS OF GENERALLY HEMISPHERICAL SHAPE, THE CENTRAL PORTION HAVING A DIAMETER APPROXIMATELY EQUAL TO THE WHEEL DIAMETER AND THE ROUNDED ENDS HAVING A RADIUS APPROXIMATELY EQUAL TO THAT OF THE CENTRAL PORTION, THE OVERALL LENGTH OF THE BODY BEING SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME AS THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE PARALLEL WHEEL AXES, SO THAT THE BODY PIECE MAY BE CRADLED IN THE AREA BETWEEN THE FOUR WHEELS WHEREBY THE BODY PIECE DUE TO ITS FULL SHAPE WILL READILY TUMBLE AND WILL NOT RIDE UP THE FORWARD WHEELS AND FALL OFF THE CARRIAGE. 